10 Inspiring Yoga Teachers You Should Know

There are countless people out there making a positive difference through yoga, and choosing only 10 for this list was a challenge, to say the least. While we would like to acknowledge everyone who shares the gift of yoga we are starting with 10 inspirational yoga teachers that have inspired us. Let us know who has inspired you!

Heidi Kristoffer

Style: Hatha, Vinyasa Flow

Heidi teaches at Strala Yoga in NYC where she is known as the ‘upside-down girl’ due to her penchant for inversions. Passionate about sharing her love of yoga with others, her classes offer everyone the chance to be upside down in a fun, safe way! Heidi is a wonderful example of the healing powers of yoga. Her personal practice helped her heal a herniated disc in her spine as well as helping to prevent surgery on two broken vertebrae. She uses core integration and alignment as well as laughter, to help her students “lengthen and strengthen” - while having fun!

Elena Brower

Style: Hatha, Kundalini

A yoga teacher for over 16 years, Elena is a global yogini who sets an amazing example through the work she does for others both on and off the mat. She is the founder and co-owner of Virayoga in NYC, where she teaches students awareness of their body, mind and soul through artful alignment. In addition, she is the Executive Producer of On Meditation, a series of films that explore the practice of meditation and she is the co-author of Art of Attention. Quite a combination of inspiration!

Tiffany Cruikshank

Style: Vinyasa

Yoga teacher, author and wellness expert, Tiffany Cruikshank has over 15 years experience in the holistic health and yoga fields. She has a background in Acupuncture & Sports Medicine and is the Yoga Teacher and Acupuncturist at the Nike World Headquarters. Tiffany travels the globe delivering amazing classes and workshops and uses her lighthearted and playful approach to encourage people to “live life to the fullest”. She is a regular contributor to many of the leading yoga and wellbeing publications and has published her first book Optimal Health for a Vibrant Life, a 30 day guide helping people move towards holistic health.

Noah Maze

Style: Hatha, Anusara, Ashtanga Vinyasa

Noah grew up around the practice and philosophy of yoga, and is today considered one of the USA’s most knowledgeable yoga teachers, particularly when it comes to teacher training. His unique style is a blend of the traditions he has studied and practiced including Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga Vinyasa and Anusara through which he was first trained as a teacher. Noah established MYoga School in LA, where he runs his renowned teacher training courses that offer quality education in “an intimate, community orientated environment”. He is clearly passionate about sharing yoga with others and he regularly travels the globe teaching workshops and classes and intensives.

Kathryn Budig

Style: Vinyasa Flow, Hatha

Kathryn is an absolute household name – and face - on the international yoga circuit. She trained and taught in Los Angeles for 8 years under Maty Ezraty, and she now travels the globe inspiring others through her classes and workshops. Influenced by Ashtanga, Kathryn’s Vinyasa Flow classes are known to have a playful element as she encourages people to challenge themselves while having fun! She is dedicated to giving back to her community and is the co-founder of Poses for Paws, an organization dedicated to raising money for animals in need through yoga. She has a DVD to her name (Aim True Yoga), has authored her first book: The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga and is the wellness expert for Women’s Health Magazine.

Seane Corn

Style: Dynamic Vinyasa Flow

Seane Corn! The incredibly inspiring and internationally celebrated yoga teacher and activist... Having taught yoga for almost 20 years she is recognized as one of the most sought after yoga teachers in the USA and travels extensively teaching workshops, retreats and conferences. A true example of someone who has used their international status to make a positive difference, Seane works tirelessly to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS as well as underage prostitution and has been awarded several humanitarian awards for her efforts. As a result of her work with sexually exploited children, Seane became a dedicated champion for YouthAIDS. She is one of the creators of Off the Mat, Into the World, an organization whose mission is to use the tools of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism.

Baron Baptiste

Style: Baptiste Yoga

Baron Baptiste, where do I start! Born into a family of yogi’s he is one of the most influential figures of modern yoga, helping to transform how yoga is viewed and practiced in America. He is the head of Baptiste Yoga, has set up 2 studios in Boston and he continues to inspire teachers and students at over 40 affiliated Baptiste Yoga studios globally. In 2007 Baron helped found Africa Yoga Project, an organization that is making a huge difference to the lives of poverty stricken youth in Kenya. As part of the project, Baron has trained over 50 teachers that deliver classes to over 5000 students every week. Baron has also written three books; The Yoga Bootcamp Box, 40 days to Personal Revolution and My Daddy is a Pretzel.

Ashley Turner

Style: Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Power Yoga

Yoga teacher, ordained priestess, author and Registered Marriage and Family Therapist, Ashley is a multi talented wellbeing inspiration! Named by Yoga Journal as Who’s Who in Power Yoga, she is known to use both the ancient wisdom of yoga philosophy and modern psychology to facilitate deep self-inquiry and transformation for her students and clients. Ashley has also created a series of Yoga DVD’s and her first book Aroma Yoga serves as a guide to using aromatherapy in holistic health.

Jason Crandell

Style: Vinyasa Flow

Jason was recently named “One of the next generation of yoga teachers shaping yoga’s future” by Yoga Journal. He teaches Vinyasa Yoga and his inspiring classes encourage students to move more mindfully, helping them to be more aware of their habits of body and mind. He initially studied under Rodney Yee, and now travels throughout the USA and internationally leading workshops and classes and taking part in teacher training courses. Jason is a contributing editor for Yoga Journal and partnered with them to release several yoga DVDs.

Kia Miller

Style: Ashtanga, Kundalini, Vinyasa Flow

The wonderful Kia Miller inspires yogis all over the US...and beyond. In fact, Kia’s life mission is to “inspire, elevate and educate, and to encourage students to live to their fullest potential”. A successful model and filmmaker for 12 years, she used yoga as a way to stay grounded through her career, and she found her practice helped her focus inward in an industry so focused on the external. She has traveled and meditated with Sadhu’s (Holy Men) in India and has studied a variety of yoga traditions including Ashtanga and Kundalini. As well as teaching at YogaWorks in LA, Kia teaches internationally at conferences and workshops, inspiring people to find joy, power and approval within.